Courtyard Cafe

Great spot to stop for a break, grab a snack and coffee, sit down in a beautiful courtyard and get fresh energy for more American art.

This place is a rip off. They can barely understand what you order. They messed up my order then blame my order (iced coffee) was wrong. I didn’t mind paying more to get the correct order but I didn’t feel like dealing with these nincompup.

We were visiting the National Portrait gallery and were starved. They have a Courtyard Cafe which has a good selection of food and drink. A little pricey but that is because of location. My wife had a caesar's salad and I ate a turkey wrap. we both had coffee lattes. Delicious. Then you take your meal outside in the huge courtyard with plenty of seating. Great ambiance. Noise level very low.

Exceptional supply of quick food on the go. Outside seating with a full canopy above. Inside the main building but accessible for free. Handicap accessible.

Really expensive, but you can't beat the location. The courtyard is really gorgeous. It's also currently full of orchids!

Absolutely outrageous prices.
Salad bar has decent options and the best value for the money, but it is filthy under the hood.
I've posted a photo of the salad dressing section of the bar which doesn't appear to have ever been cleaned.
Additionally, I've never seen such high food prices even at theme parks. $11.20 for a dinky pre-made chicken salad sandwich? Outrageous!
The second star is present purely because the rest of the museum is free and therefore a good value.

The prices at the Courtyard Cafe are a little high (as with any place to eat in virtually any museum in DC), but it's a great spot to grab a coffee and do some writing or work on a laptop. The courtyard in the Portrait Gallery is one of the best spots in DC, hands-down.